Deacon

The word deacon comes from the Greek word diakonos which means ‘servant’ but it is used in the New Testament church as a title for an assistant leader in a local church. In Acts 6:1-7 we see that, as the church grew, the apostles needed helpers for some of the more practical tasks. In a letter to Timothy (1 Timothy 3:1-14), Paul lays out criteria for the appointment of the two offices of Elders and Deacons. The requirements are about character rather than skills (except that elders are required to have a teaching gift) and there is a strong emphasis on reputation within the family and with outsiders. Deacons, like elders, must be respected by their peers, hold to the ‘deep truths of the faith’ and be people of good character. If the Greek word gune in 1 Timothy 3:11 is understood as meaning ‘the women’ rather than ‘their wives’ in this context, then Paul allowed women to act as deacons. (This seems to be the more natural reading of these verses as it would not make sense to hold the wives of deacons to a higher standard than the wives of elders, of whom no requirements are made.) In addition, in Romans 16:1, the word deacon is used of a woman called Phoebe, and there are many examples of women having a servant-leadership role in the church (Priscilla, Mary, Tryphena and Tryphosa, and Persis in Romans 16:1-12; Euodia and Syntyche in Philippians 4:2-3; and Nympha in Colossians 4:15). Today, deacons would often take on the roles of administration, finances, building maintenance, caring for the physical needs of the congregation and many other tasks that could not be fulfilled by the elders without detriment to the work of word ministry and prayer. Nowhere in the Bible do deacons have the same authority as elders, nor are they required to be able to teach scripture (although they must have a good grasp of it). In Anglican and other episcopal churches, the term ‘deacon’ is used in a different way: the first year of ordained ministry is that of a ‘deacon’, with a focus on learning about pastoral care to shape future ministry. (See Elder, Overseer)